The Steelers fell from the top seed as they lost their second game in a row. Washington has asserted themselves as a part of the upper power teams, something I never thought I'd say about an NFC East team this season. With Alex Smith injured, though, can they maintain that? Speaking of injuries, Drew Brees returns, just in time for a fabulous offensive showdown with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
We are at the point of the season when I examine the division title races and playoff hopefuls. That analysis will appear after the Power Rankings.
Team Power Rankings [Last week's position]
1. Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) [1] : The Chiefs hold the top spot, but they've looked fragile the past couple of weeks. We have a battle of top Power teams this week, so it should be interesting to see who remains on top.
2. New Orleans Saints (10-3) [3] : Taysom Hill couldn't bring them all the way back from an early 17-0 deficit, but Drew Brees returns this week to add power to the Saints.
3. Green Bay Packers (10-3) [4] : Definitely the strongest showing among Top Five Power teams this week, and they nearly let Detroit tie the game.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-2) [3] : They've lost two in a row, and they can't really blame injuries. They need to get organized quickly or their shot at the top seed will evaporate.
5. Indianapolis Colts (9-4) [7] : The Colts offense just rolled against the Raiders for one of their most impressive performances of the season.
6. Baltimore Ravens (8-5) [6] : It almost got away from them, but a last second field goal pushed the Ravens past the Browns to remain in the playoff hunt.
7. Los Angeles Rams (9-4) [8] : The Rams wiped out the Patriots in one of their most impressive performances of the year. It seems like the teams in this section of the Power Rankings are peaking while the top teams are slipping.
8. Miami Dolphins (8-5) [5] : The Dolphins defense wasn't quite up to the task of holding back the Chiefs.
9. Buffalo Bills (10-3) [10] : They handed the Steelers their second straight loss and puts the Bills in line to contend for the top seed in the conference.
10. Seattle Seahawks (9-4) [12] : Well, if you want to jump two places in the Power Rankings, it helps to play the Jets!
11. Tampa Bay Bucs (8-5) [9] : Nice win over the Vikings, but it took them nearly a whole quarter to get started.
12. Tennessee Titans (9-4) [11] : Strong offensive performance from the Titans, something that has been lacking recently.
13. Arizona Cardinals (7-6) [13] : Nice defensive performance, but then again, they did face the Giants, so it wasn't much of a challenge.
14. Cleveland Browns (9-4) [14] : They hung in against the Ravens, matching them score for score. Nice job.
15. Washington (6-7) [16] : Washington is showing that there is some power in the NFC East this season after all.
16. New England Patriots (6-7) [15] : A massive fail against the Rams leaves some lingering questions about this team.
Divisional Power Rankings [Last week's position]
1. NFC West [2] : Strong wins by Seattle, Arizona, and the Rams return this division to the top
2. AFC North [1] : As Pittsburgh slides, so does the division standing
3. NFC South [3] : The Saints showed power in nearly coming back from a 17-0 deficit, and the Bucs stepped it up this week
4. NFC North [5] : Strong victories by Green Bay and Chicago, and an excellent performance by Detroit, boosted this division
5. AFC East [4] : As from Buffalo, not a great week for the division
6. AFC South [6] : Two good victories, two bad losses
7. AFC West [7] : The Chiefs almost lost, and nobody else had a good week
8. NFC East [8] : Believe it or not, they are moving up. They just have a massive gap to overcome.
Divisional and Playoff races
Kansas City has clinched both the playoffs and the AFC West title. Everyone else is still chasing their dreams. Pittsburgh clinches the playoffs with a win or a Dolphins loss. A Steelers win or Browns loss awards Pittsburgh the division title. Buffalo needs two wins or both a Dolphins loss and Ravens loss. Two wins or two losses by Miami gives them the division title as well. Two wins by the Dolphins, Colts, and Titans propel them into the playoffs. The combinations are more varied for other teams, so let's examine things again next week as contenders fall and the combinations become fewer.
In the NFC, the Packers clinched the NFC North and the Saints clinched a playoff spot. The Saints clinch their division with a win or a Bucs loss. The Bucs, Seahawks, and Rams clinch the playoffs with a single win. NFC East and NFC West division races are tight, and other playoff chances are very numerous.
Week 15 picks
Thursday night
Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders : Must win game for the Raiders, who would likely find themselves out of playoff contention if they lose. They have the talent to win this game, but their on-field play can be very inconsistent. They also MUST reduce the number of stupid penalties they commit on offense. I'll favor them, but they'll likely keep this game too close for their fans' comfort. RAIDERS, 27-23
Saturday games
While the NCAA still play on Saturday, the NFL moves into Saturday for an afternoon and evening game.
Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos : The Bills are chasing the AFC East title, an achievement they can accomplish with a win here. While Josh Allen still shows some rough edges, his level of play has increased dramatically this season, while the Broncos seem mired in mediocracy this season. BILLS, 28-20
Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers : The Packers have already clinched their division, but they are chasing the top seed of the conference, since only the top seed gets a bye this year. That makes this game important, so they won't rest anybody. That's good, because if the defense allows as many big plays as they did last week against Detroit, Carolina will keep this game uncomfortably close. PACKERS, 27-23
Sunday early games
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings : The Bears found their offense last week, and are hoping it extends into this week. They don't have a great divisional record this season, so on paper the Vikings have the edge, but the Vikings played lackluster last week, so the Bears come into this game with the momentum. At this point of the season, momentum plays a big part. BEARS, 23-20
Detroit Lions at Tennessee Titans : The Titans defense will give the Lions a much tougher time this week than they faced last week. TITANS, 30-20
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts : The Texans want to bounce back from last week's embarrassing loss, and I think both the offense and defense will stiffen. However, even a stiffer defense will have a hard time slowing the Colts. COLTS, 27-20
Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens : Not much of a surprise here. RAVENS, 30-16
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins : A loss here will remove all chances of a playoff berth for New England. They will fight hard, and games between these two are frequently close and exciting, but the Dolphins are even more eager to return to the playoffs, and Tua's development seems to give them the boost they need. Rookie quarterbacks do not traditionally fare well against Bill Belichick-coached teams, but the Dolphins can always bring in Ryan Fitzpatrick for relief if needed. Besides, there is always the strong Dolphins defense to help them. DOLPHINS, 24-17
San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys : The NFC West is still trying to pull off the unheard-of feat of sending the entire division to the playoffs. The 49ers know they need to win out, and hope other teams lose, in order to achieve that. Fortunately, they ought to be able to knock off the struggling Cowboys. 49ERS, 27-23
Seattle Seahawks at Washington (Nameless) wonders : Washington has shown up strongly in recent weeks as Alex Smith returned to the lineup. However, he may be hurt for this game, which makes a Seattle pick pretty easy. Even if he plays, I don't think he'll last the entire game against the physical Seattle defense. SEAHAWKS, 27-20
Tampa Bay Bucs at Atlanta Falcons : The Falcons have no chance at the playoffs, but playing spoiler, especially for a division rival, is a mighty temptation. Atlanta is actually a team more talented than their record, marking them as underachievers. The Bucs are supremely talented as well, and yet have lost games they shouldn't have lost this season. Who will propel themselves in this situation? This is the time of the year when Tom Brady really steps up, and I expect him to do it again. BUCS, 27-20
Sunday late games
Kansas City Chiefs at New Orleans Saints : It looks like Drew Brees will return to the Saints lineup, and just in time to host the Chiefs. The Chiefs nearly lost last week as the tough Dolphins defense made things hard for them. The Saints defense isn't as tough, but they may be good enough to slow Patrick Mahomes and company, and that opens the door for a healthy Drew Brees to work his magic. I'm picking the upset here, folks! SAINTS, 34-31
New York Jets at Los Angeles Rams : Another week where the Rams face a weak opponent, and another chance for an NFC West team to jump on the Power Rankings due to a massive defeat of the Jets. RAMS, 28-10
Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals : It appears the Eagles will bench Carson Wentz in favor of rookie Jalen Hurts. Against many teams that might be a good idea, but that play right into the Cardinals' hands. After all, their defense knows how to handle dynamic young quarterbacks, as they line up against one every week in practice. The Cards will bring Hurts back to Earth, and gain a win in the process. CARDINALS, 27-20
Sunday night
Cleveland Browns at New York Giants : The Browns nearly beat the Ravens last week. Compared to that, the Giants are a non-issue. BROWNS, 27-17
Monday Night Football
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals : The Steelers have lost two in a row. They want a strong win to reverse that trend, and to clinch a playoff spot. Fortunately, with the way the Bengals have been playing, they should get all of those things. STEELERS, 27-16
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